Arsenal's New Solution Eyes Newcastle Block

NEWCASTLE, SATURDAY — In their last three visits to Newcastle United's home ground, Arsenal has always lost due to being overwhelmed by the opponent's central block defense scheme. Arsenal arrives with a new solution this season, but its effectiveness depends on the decisions of manager Mikel Arteta.

Doubt envelops the Arsenal squad ahead of their visit to St. James Park Stadium, Newcastle, England, on Sunday (28/9/2025) at 22:30 WIB. They have not only lost their last three matches but have also failed to score at that stadium. "They always make it very difficult for us," said Arteta.

There are many similarities in the story of Arsenal's three visits. "The Gunners" consistently dominated ball possession, averaging over 60 percent, but struggled to create clear opportunities. They only produced five shots on target throughout those matches, or once every 54 minutes.

Newcastle, under coach Eddie Howe, consistently employs the same principle. They allow the opposing team to dominate, as long as they do not enter the dangerous area. This is achieved by utilizing a central block defense, which forces Arsenal to retain possession more in their own area or on the flanks.

In the central block scheme, Newcastle is reluctant to be provoked into pressing all the way to the opponent's defense. They are also hesitant to defend too deeply. Howe's team clusters in the middle third of the field, maintaining the closest possible distance between players, making it difficult for the opponent to progress.

Although he has succeeded repeatedly, Howe does not guarantee that he will employ a similar approach this weekend. He anticipates the response from the visiting team. "We do not care about the past. You just need to give it your all. Arsenal is a good team," he stated.

The issue is that Arsenal has come with a solution. They have new players, midfielder Eberechi Eze and forward Viktor Gyokeres, who are more straightforward and effective in breaking through the central block. The weakness of that block is the height of the defensive line, which can be exploited with direct passes.

With Eze and Gyokeres, Arsenal's attack proved increasingly varied. Finally, Eze provided the pass that broke through City's midfield for Arsenal's equalizer. Gyokeres also punished Leeds United's weak defense after escaping the offside trap.

A straightforward player profile like that was previously absent from "The Cannoneers." They are needed because Newcastle is one of the best in the practice of central blocking. Only Crystal Palace (62 percent), a team that employs central blocking more frequently in the league than Newcastle (59 percent).

The issue now lies with Arteta's selection of players. Eze has consistently been benched in two away matches against major teams, namely Liverpool and City. In fact, he is the most creative player in the Arsenal squad. Eze was only brought on after Arsenal lost momentum, rather than when the situation was balanced.

Arteta has faced significant criticism for playing too conservatively. He prefers the midfield trio of Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, and Mikel Merino in a 4-3-3 formation for major matches. There are no creative players or pure attacking midfielders in that trio, resulting in a lack of creativity for Arsenal.

Moreover, Rice and Merino have proven to be less compatible when playing together. They have been deployed together from the start in ten matches. Out of these numerous matches, Arsenal has only won once. The presence of these two "box to box" midfielders has made the team's performance too flat.

A lack of creativity in Arsenal's solutions can be addressed with Eze. The England national team player has already provided two assists in the league. He averages one assist every 77 minutes, the best in the club. As the top creator, if Arsenal wants to score goals and win, Eze should start from the kickoff.

For Arsenal, it is challenging to match the physical intensity of the opposing trio of combative midfielders, namely Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, and Sandro Tonali. Moreover, the energy of the home players is always amplified when ignited by the crowd at St. James Park. The visiting team needs a skilled figure who can break the pressure. That figure is Eze.

According to Arteta, Eze has already made significant contributions but is still adapting. "He still needs time with the other players. Overall, he is very good. However, there is still much more he can offer," he said after Eze scored his first goal in the League Cup match against Port Vale last Thursday.

The question mark regarding goal productivity also applies to Newcastle. They still cannot fully escape the shadow of striker Alexander Isak, who moved to Liverpool. In their last three league matches, "The Magpies" have only managed to score one goal.

Newcastle's new striker Nick Woltemade appears to be promising, but he is still far from the level of Isak. "His style of play is different from our previous strikers. It's all about maximizing Nick's strengths. I am impressed with him in such a short time. He has shown a creative side," said Howe. (AP/REUTERS)